Lawyer Bails On Couple That Allegedly Stole Money They Raised For A Homeless Good Samaritan

The attorney for the couple who raised money for a homeless man after he helped the woman who was stranded on the side of a highway last winter has dropped the case, citing the fact that an indictment of one or both of the pair will likely be indicted.

It was the feel-good story of the winter. When Kate McClure found herself stranded on the side of the highway in the freezing cold and dark, a homeless man told her to stay in her car while he walked to the nearest gas station. Johnny Bobbitt, the homeless man who admits to struggling with drug addiction, used his last $20 to get McClure some gas so she could get home.

The grateful McClure and her partner, Mark D’Amico decided to do their best to return the kindness by starting a GoFundMe campaign to raise some money to hopefully get Bobbitt back on his feet. The campaign went viral and raised around $400,000 to help Bobbitt. However, control of the money was in the hands of D’Amico and McClure.

Rather than getting Bobbitt his own condo or apartment, the couple purchased an RV and placed it on property owned by relatives of theirs. That situation only lasted months as Bobbitt was reportedly using drugs on the property. They also say they’ve given Bobbitt thousands in cash, which he admits to spending a portion of it on drugs.

However, the money McClure and D’Amico have spent on items for themselves in recent months — including jewelry, a B.M.W, and seemingly fairly luxurious vacations — has raised enough eyebrows that a civil lawsuit was underway between Bobbitt and the couple.

Last week, the couple’s home was raided and the recently purchased items, including jewelry and the Beamer, were removed from the property. As this has moved beyond a civil matter and into the criminal, the couple’s attorney, Ernest Badaway, says he will no longer represent them.

D’Amico had previously said he would burn all the money before giving it to Bobbitt.

Bobbitt has allegedly entered a drug rehabilitation program.

It’s too bad this story has devolved to the state it’s at. Of course, the money seems to have been mismanaged from the start. Unfortunately, this kind of thing will make it harder for well-meaning strangers to want to give to campaigns like McClure and D’Amico’s after such a high profile case.

Hopefully, Bobbitt can get the help he needs and the couple see the justice and consequences (if the allegations prove true) they deserve.